Here’s how the famous Lewis and Clark expedition is connected to the Steel City.
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis was charged by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the unknown lands west of the Mississippi River that were part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Lewis chose William Clark to join him on the expedition, which lasted over two years and spanned approximately 8,000 miles.
The mission ultimately provided new and critical information concerning geographic, ecological, and cultural knowledge about uncharted areas of the United States.
Interestingly, part of Lewis’ and Clark’s expedition is tied to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Meriwether Lewis purchased his Newfoundland dog companion, Seaman, in Pittsburgh for $20. This equates to nearly $500 today.
Lewis waited for his keelboat to be completed, and it is believed to have been built in Pittsburgh, most likely at Fort Fayette. Fort Fayette was on the north side of the city along the Allegheny River.
Many sources point to the keelboat being constructed in Elizabeth, about fifteen miles upstream from the city on the Monongahela River.
The first part of Meriwether Lewis’ journey took him to Clarksville, where he would join with William Clark.
Lewis recruited seven soldiers from the garrison in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the expedition. A river pilot and three young men joined him. Two of those young men, George Shannon and John Colter, sufficiently passed their trial period and became permanent members of the expedition.
The expedition party ultimately went on to be composed of 45 individuals including Lewis and Clark. There were 27 unmarried soldiers, a French-Indian interpreter, a contracted boat crew, and an enslaved person owned by Clark accompanying the men on the journey.
The first stop for Lewis and his crew was Brunot Island in Pittsburgh, just three miles downstream from the launch point. On the island, Lewis accidentally misfired his special air riddle and grazed a female bystander in the head.
The only man to die on the expedition was 22-year-old Sergeant Charles Floyd. Floyd died of an abdominal infection.
In 1806, after gathering significant information about the uncharted lands, Lewis and Clark made the journey home. They waited until June of that year for the snow to melt.
Lewis and Clark returned to Washington, D.C. in the fall of 1806 to share their findings with President Jefferson.
The pair, after spending part of their expedition in Pittsburgh, surveyed the Louisiana Territory from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
Both Lewis and Clark received double pay for their efforts. Lewis was made Governor of the Louisiana Territory and Clark was appointed Brigadier General of Militia for Louisiana Territory and a federal Indian Agent. They both received 1,600 acres of land. Their legacy helped strengthen America in the West and inspired other explorers and pioneers.
